Nelson-Tasman
Federated Farmers
Farmers across the Nelson Tasman region are in the thick of lambing and calving, but the local Federated Farmers board is continuing to focus on the issues affecting rural communities.
One recent win is the Government’s proposal to cut red tape around river gravel extraction and small on-farm quarries.
For farmers, it is a matter of common sense. The sector needs certainty and sensible, consistent rules rather than different consenting regimes across the country.
Under the proposed national standard, farmers who meet clear conditions could extract gravel from rivers without needing resource consent.
That matters not only for access to gravel, but also for flood protection. Natural gravel build-up can raise riverbeds and increase flood risk, while farmers also need aggregate for essential infrastructure such as tracks, gateways and stockyards.
Having to navigate an expensive and time-consuming consent process for these practical jobs simply does not make sense. However, there is still more work to do in this area.
Some members of the volunteer team recently attended the Primary Industries New Zealand Summit (PINZ) and the Federated Farmers annual general meeting in Auckland.
President Kerry Irvine says the range of expert speakers left attendees with plenty to consider.
The events covered a wide range of issues affecting the future of New Zealand agriculture, including biosecurity, geopolitical instability, the use of artificial intelligence in agriculture, the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement and the future of co-operatives.
The gatherings provided an opportunity to hear from industry experts, connect with others across the agricultural sector and bring those insights back to the local farming community. With the general election in November drawing closer, campaigning is beginning to intensify.
Several significant issues could have a direct impact on the day-to-day challenges faced by farmers and rural communities.
People will have different priorities and support different parties, and that is part of a healthy democracy. Whatever party voters choose, it is important they understand what is being offered and cast their vote based on the issues and outcomes that matter most to them and the future of farming.
Nelson Tasman Federated Farmers is keen to hear what is happening across the region and the issues affecting farming businesses and rural communities. Anyone wanting to raise an issue or start a discussion can email nelsonfedfarm@gmail.com and include a phone number for a callback.
